I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first picked up my copy of of “God in the Movies: A Guide for Exploring Four Decades of Film”, edited by Catherine M. Barsotti and Robert K. Johnston. Published by BrazosPress in 2017, the purpose of the book is to “encourage movie lovers and small groups to reflect critically and theologically on some of the best movies of recent years.”

“God in the Movies” is a thick volume with in-depth discussions for 40 movies, all released between 1981 and 2014. This extensive list includes classics such as: “Chariots of Fire”, “Groundhog Day”, “Up”, “Life of Pi”, and of course many more. Each movie chapter includes:

• a brief overview including runtime, starring actors, director, rating, and key theological topics
• a thought-provoking discussion on synopsis and theological reflection
• corresponding texts from Scripture
• questions for discussion and “Clip Conversations” that conveniently allow you to visit the accompanying website and reference specific scenes from the movie
• fascinating bonus material that provides background, contextual, and other little-known information about the film
• book and website lists for additional reading

As you can see, this book really dives in deep when it comes to discussing some of the greatest movies of our time! In many cases, it went above and beyond my expectations. For example, the Appendices at the back of the book are one of my favorite features: Movies Listed by Biblical Text, and Movies Listed by Theological Topic. One disappointment came, however, when I realized that several of the movies selections were R-rated. This obviously means that the book as a whole is definitely not family-friendly, BUT many of the individual films can be viewed by younger audiences (for example “Up” and “Wall-E”). Overall, if you are a mature moviegoer who would love some wise additional guidance in finding elements of faith in films, don’t miss “God in the Movies”.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.”